Wildlife exclusion systems and methods for railway tracks

ABSTRACT

A wildlife exclusion system for railway tracks is provided which includes an exclusion arrangement positioned to span across the railway tracks at a location along a length of the railway tracks. The exclusion arrangement extends generally perpendicular to the railway tracks and has a series of conductive elements spaced apart from each other to form an exclusion are configured to provide an electric shock to wild animals when particular conductive elements within the exclusion area are bridged thereby. Methods of installing a wildlife exclusion system and methods of discouraging wild animals from traveling along railway tracks are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/573,969, filed Dec. 17, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/627,886, filed Sep. 26, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.8,939,110, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/539,897, filed Sep. 27, 2011, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods fordiscouraging animal wildlife from traveling along railway tracks orentering restricted areas in the vicinity of the railway tracks.

Description of the Related Art

Many types of wildlife that travel on the ground prefer to use railwaytracks for movement from one location to another. Bears, deer, elk,sheep, moose, cattle, wolves, foxes and wild horses are examples. Therailway tracks provide relatively easy travel when snow is deep inadjacent areas. Railway tracks on bridges provide easier stream or rivercrossing. Railway tracks through tunnels provide more direct and levelroutes for moving through mountainous regions. In some cases, wildanimals are attracted to the railway track area due to early springarrival of good forage on the track edges or from grains dropped by thetrains travelling on the tracks. In any case, animal wildlife on thetracks is at risk of being injured or killed by trains. Animal wildlifeare killed when they try to escape by running down the track with atrain approaching as is often the case with bears. Animal wildlife arekilled when they are not aware that a train is approaching or when theysimply cannot move quickly enough off the track as may happen in thecase of a herd of animals on the tracks. Animals may not be able toescape the oncoming train if they are caught on a bridge or in a tunnel.In fact, animal wildlife mortality on railway tracks caused by trainimpacts is very high in some regions and is threatening the existence ofand survival of certain species within several regions of the world. Forexample, currently the population of grizzly bears in Banff, Canada isthought to be at a population of about sixty individuals. It is believedthat grizzly bears are being killed on railway tracks at a rate higherthan the rate at which the bears can reproduce new offspring.

It is common to build fences running parallel to the tracks to keepanimal wildlife off the tracks. However, at some point the fence mustend which leaves an opening to the track. Gates are typically notinstalled across fence ends or across bridge or tunnel openings, asdoing so would impede the movement of trains on the tracks. Furthermore,fences effectively block the normal movement and migration of wildanimals and therefore openings across the tracks are necessary to allowanimals to move from one side of the tracks to the other for migrationand other purposes. This requires that the fence end temporarily toallow a channel or corridor across the tracks for movement. Gates aretypically not used to prevent animals from turning and traveling up ordown the railway tracks rather than traveling across the tracks from oneside to the other, as doing so would impede the movement of trains onthe tracks.

Train operators have tried using noise, harassment, foul tasting sprayson track side food sources and beds of upright wooden dowel rods (i.e.,“peg boards”) along the railway to deter and prevent movement down therailway by animals. None of these devices have been satisfactory inpreventing animal movement on the railway.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The wildlife exclusion systems and methods described herein providereliable mechanisms for deterring animal wildlife from traveling alongrailways or entering restricted areas in the vicinity of the tracks,while not interfering with train travel. The systems may prevent, forexample, wild animals from crossing bridges, entering tunnels, ortraveling up or down railway tracks. The systems may also provide forsafe travel across the tracks while minimizing or substantiallyeliminating the risk of collisions by oncoming trains.

According to one embodiment, a wildlife exclusion system for railwaytracks may be summarized as including an exclusion arrangementpositioned to span across the railway tracks at a location along alength of the railway tracks, the exclusion arrangement extendinggenerally perpendicular to the railway tracks and including a series ofconductive elements spaced apart from each other to form an exclusionarea configured to provide an electric shock to wild animals whenparticular conductive elements within the exclusion area are bridgedthereby, the exclusion arrangement having a central portion disposedbetween the railway tracks and opposing end portions on opposing sidesof the railway tracks.

A central portion of the exclusion arrangement may include a matarrangement that may extend substantially entirely between the railwaytracks and may have a generally planar upper surface offset below anupper surface of the railway tracks. A portion of the opposing endportions of the exclusion arrangement may decline from an upper end ofthe railway tracks toward a bed of the railway tracks. Opposing endportions of the exclusion arrangement may extend from a respective oneof the railway tracks to a respective barrier, the barriers and theexclusion arrangement collectively defining a wildlife boundary. Forexample, opposing end portions of the exclusion arrangement may extendfrom the railway tracks to an end of a fence system.

The exclusion arrangement may be formed as a mat arrangement having aplurality of interconnecting planks or it may be formed as a matarrangement with a solid large sheet, each plank or sheet configured toreceive at least two of the series of conductive elements. In otherinstances, the exclusion arrangement may include a plurality of supportmembers intermittently supporting the series of conductive elements in asuspended manner. The plurality of support members may be elongatedbeams oriented transverse to a longitudinal length of the series ofconductive elements. The conductive elements may be positioned to extendgenerally parallel to the railway tracks, and an end one of theconductive elements on each of the opposing end portions of theexclusion arrangement may be spaced in close proximity (e.g., withinabout three inches) to a respective one of the railway tracks. Theconductive elements of the exclusion arrangement and the railway tracksmay be configured to have positive and negative poles in an open circuitand to produce an electric shock when the open circuit is completed bywild animals attempting to cross the exclusion arrangement. At least aportion of the exclusion arrangement may be embedded in a surroundingarea of the railway tracks such that the portion is generally flush witha ground surface of the surrounding area.

The wildlife exclusion system may further include a power sourceselectively coupled to a first group of the conductive elements to forman open circuit between the first group of the conductive elements and asecond group of the conductive elements. The conductive elements of thefirst group and the conductive elements of the second group may bepositioned to alternate over a length of the exclusion arrangement.

The wildlife exclusion system may further include a detection systemcoupled to the power source to selectively form the open circuit inresponse to a detection of wild animals in a vicinity of the exclusionarrangement. The detection system may be configured to selectivelygenerate at least one of a control signal and a warning signal inresponse to a detection of wild animals in a vicinity of the exclusionarrangement.

Opposing end portions of the exclusion arrangement may include arespective support system coupleable to railway ties underlying therailway tracks, the support system supporting the respective end portionin close proximity to a respective one of the railway tracks.

In some embodiments, a complementary exclusion arrangement may bepositioned to span across the railway tracks at a second location alongthe length of the railway tracks offset from the position of the firstexclusion arrangement to form a passage area between the exclusionarrangements for animals to cross from one side of the tracks to theother.

In some embodiments, the exclusion arrangement may further include adevice coupled thereto to attract wildlife to a conditioning area of theexclusion arrangement. The device may be, for example, a bait receptaclepositioned beneath the series of conductive elements within theconditioning area.

In some instances, the exclusion arrangement of the wildlife exclusionsystem may include at least two distinct exclusion regions of differentform. For example, one section may be in the form of an electrified matand another section may be in the form of elongated conductive elementssuspended above the ground.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a wildlife exclusion system,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top plan diagram of a wildlife exclusion system, accordingto another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a top plan diagram of a wildlife exclusion system, accordingto yet another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a central portion of an exclusion matarrangement of the wildlife exclusion system of FIG. 1 shown between thetracks.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an end portion of the exclusion matarrangement of the wildlife exclusion system of FIG. 1 shown interfacingwith one of the railway tracks.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an end portion of the exclusion matarrangement of the wildlife exclusion system of FIG. 1 shown in apartially assembled configuration to reveal an underlying supportsystem.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the underlying supportsystem for the end portion of the exclusion mat arrangement of thewildlife exclusion system of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a portion of a wildlife exclusion system,according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a top plan diagram of a wildlife exclusion system, accordingto yet another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, certain specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosedembodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognizethat embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and techniquesassociated with wildlife exclusion and wildlife monitoring systems andmethods may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring descriptions of the embodiments. For instance, well knownpower distribution systems may be used to supply power to the systemsdescribed herein for shocking wildlife animals in a safe yet effectivelydeterring manner.

Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification andclaims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, suchas, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open,inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or“in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined inany suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or”is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the contentclearly dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1 shows a wildlife exclusion system 10 according to one exampleembodiment spanning across railway tracks 14 supported by transverserailways ties 16 embedded in the ground. The wildlife exclusion system10 includes an exclusion arrangement 30 in the form of a platform or matthat is positioned to span across the railway tracks 14 generallyperpendicular to the railway tracks 14 with a central portion 32disposed between the railway tracks and opposing end portions 34, 36disposed on opposing sides of the railway tracks 14. The portions 32,34, 36 of the exclusion arrangement 30 may be formed of modularcomponents, such as, for example, abutting or interconnecting modularplanks 38 arranged in a series to form a generally elongated matstructure. The planks 38 are preferably constructed of a non-conductiveor insulating material, such as, for example, wood, plastic, fiberglassor other appropriate materials. Each of the planks 38 may furtherinclude a series of conductive elements 39 spaced apart from each otherto form an exclusion area configured to provide an electric shock towild animals when certain conductive elements are bridged thereby. Forinstance, in some embodiments, an open circuit may be establishedbetween alternating conductive elements 39 of the exclusion arrangement30, which generate a painful shock when the circuit is completed by ananimal stepping on the arrangement 30 and bridging conductive elements39 having opposite poles. In other embodiments, an upper portion orlayer of the exclusion arrangement 30 may be formed as a continuoussheet with conductive elements 39 received therein.

The exclusion arrangement 30 may be constructed so as to be removed inmodular sections for track repair and maintenance activity in the areaoccupied by the exclusion arrangement 30 and then reinstalled when trackmaintenance is complete. In this manner, the arrangement 30 provides aparticularly unobtrusive system for preventing wild animals fromtraveling along the tracks or from entering restricted areas.

The exclusion arrangement 30 is designed to span between opposingbarriers on respective sides of the railway tracks 14, such as, forexample, a fence structure 40, a barricade, natural barrier or otherbarrier, so that the opposing barriers and the exclusion arrangement 30collectively form a boundary for animal wildlife that is effectivelyimpenetrable to wild animals due to the deterrent nature of theexclusion arrangement 30, yet which does not impede or otherwiseinterfere with the movement of trains or other vehicles moving along therailway tracks 14. In some embodiments, the exclusion arrangement 30 mayspan between opposing end posts 42 of a fence system 40, as partiallyillustrated in FIG. 1 . The exclusion arrangement 30 deters animals fromcrossing the fence line in a region where the railway tracks penetratethe fence system 40. In this manner, wild animals may be retained on oneside of the fence system 40 in an area unrestricted to animal wildlife.

FIG. 2 is diagram of a wildlife exclusion system 10′ according to oneexample embodiment which includes a pair of exclusion arrangements 30′spanning across railway tracks 14 to form a passage or corridorextending across the railway tracks 14. The pair of exclusionarrangements 30′ may be positioned to span between opposing fencesystems 40′ running parallel to the tracks 14 on each side thereof. Moreparticularly, the exclusion arrangements 30′ may extend between endposts 42′ of the opposing fence systems 40′ such that the exclusionarrangements 30′ and opposing fence systems 40′ create outwardly facingU-shaped boundaries that project along the length of the tracks 14 inboth directions. Similar to the description above, the exclusionarrangements 30′ may include a series of conductive elements (not shown)spaced apart from each other to form an exclusion area configured toprovide an electric shock to wild animals that attempt to cross thearrangements 30′. For instance, in some embodiments, an open circuit maybe established between alternating conductive elements of each exclusionarrangement 30′, which generates a painful shock when the circuit iscompleted by an animal stepping on one of the arrangements 30′ andbridging conductive elements of opposite poles. In this manner, animalsare discouraged from turning up or down the tracks 14 as they move ormigrate from one side of the tracks 14 to the other, as represented bythe double-headed arrows in FIG. 2 .

In some particularly advantageous embodiments, the railway tracks 14themselves may form one of a negative or positive electrode of the opencircuit established between conductive elements of the exclusionarrangements 30′ during operation to inhibit animals from tightropewalking along the railway tracks 14 to cross the arrangements 30′. Inthis configuration, the wildlife exclusion system 10 is particularlyeffective in preventing a large variety of animal wildlife from enteringundesired or restricted areas along the tracks, including bears inparticular.

In the embodiment of the wildlife exclusion system 10′ depicted in FIG.2 , the areas in which wild animals may cross the tracks 14 iscontrolled to specific passage areas 50 which may be closely monitoredto protect against train collisions. For instance, in some embodiments,monitoring and sensing devices, such as, for example, motion detectors,infrared sensors and other sensing devices, may be integrated into thesystem 10′ to monitor the passage area 50 for the presence of wildanimals and selectively activate or deactivate the exclusionarrangements 30′ in response to the same. In addition, warning and/orcontrol signals may be generated for alerting others, such as, forexample, railway conductors or other railway personnel, to potentialcollision conditions.

Detection systems may be positioned in some embodiments to sense abreach condition corresponding to when an animal unexpectedly darts,leaps or otherwise crosses the exclusion arrangements 30′. The exclusionarrangements 30′ may be subsequently deactivated during such breachconditions so as to not deter the animal or animals from returning tothe passage or corridor between the exclusion arrangements 30′. Inaddition, others may be alerted to the breach condition so as to enableevasive action, if needed, such as bringing a train to a stoppedcondition upstream of the breached arrangement 30′. Detection systemsmay also be positioned in some embodiments to sense when an animal oranimals enter and exit the corridor between the exclusion arrangements30′ so as to track whether one or more animals may be occupying thetrack section within this corridor. In such an event, others may bealerted to the condition so as to enable evasive action, if needed.

As further shown in FIG. 2 , one or more power sources 31 may beelectrically coupled to the exclusion arrangements 30′ to supply powerfor shocking animals stepping on the arrangements 30′. The power source31 may be a battery, mains power, and/or solar power or any alternativepower source. The power source 31 may coupled to the conductive elementsof the exclusion arrangements 30′ to selectively activate the exclusionarrangements 30′ in response to the presence of wild animals, forexample. In this manner, the exclusion arrangements 30′ may remain in anon-energized state when animals are not detected in the vicinity,thereby conserving energy during periods in which the system may not beneeded to deter wild animals. In addition, as discussed above, theexclusion arrangements 30′ may be deactivated during fault conditionssuch as an unexpected breach. Accordingly, the systems 10′ provideparticularly versatile and efficient devices for excluding wild animalsfrom traveling into undesired or restricted areas along the railwaytracks 14.

Still further, as shown in FIG. 2 , gates 44 may be provided totemporarily close the corridor between the exclusion arrangements 30′and prevent animals from crossing the tracks at this location. The gates44 may be manually or automatically controlled. The gates 44 may beopened during select time periods when trains are not expected to bepassing through the area. In some embodiments, the gates 44 may bevertical swing crossing gates and may provide an electrified barrier toprevent animals from crossing the tracks between the exclusionarrangements 30′. When a train is approaching and no wildlife isdetected in the passage area 50, the gates 44 may be closed and remainclosed, allowing the train to maintain its travel speed and preventingwildlife from entering the crosswalk as the train passes the area.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a wildlife exclusion system 10″ whichincludes an exclusion arrangement 30″ in the form of a single exclusionmat arrangement at the entrance of a fenced in area. More particularly,the exclusion arrangement 30″ extends across the railway tracks 14between end posts 42″ of opposing fence systems 40″ on each side of thetracks 14. In other embodiments, the exclusion arrangement 30″ may spanthe entrance and exit of a tunnel or a bridge deck. In any event, theexclusion arrangement 30″ deters wild animals from crossing theexclusion arrangement 30″ and traveling down the tracks, whether througha tunnel, over a bridge or traversing any other structure or terrain.Further, although the embodiment of the wildlife exclusion system 10″ isshown as extending between two similar barrier structures (e.g., fencestructures 40″), it is appreciated that the wildlife exclusion system10″ may extend between two dissimilar barrier structures, such as, forexample, a fence structure 40″ on one side of the tracks 14 and anatural rock formation or other barrier on the other side of the tracks14.

FIGS. 4 through 7 provide views of various aspects of the exampleembodiment of a wildlife exclusion system 10 described with reference toFIG. 1 above. As shown in FIG. 1 , an exclusion arrangement is providedwhich extends between end fence posts located on opposing sides ofrailway tracks. The exclusion arrangement includes a central portionpositioned between the railway tracks and end portions on each side ofthe railway tracks. The end portions include a generally planar matarrangement which inclines at an end near the tracks such that at leastone of a plurality of conductive elements embedded in the arrangement isin relatively close proximity to an upper end of a respective railwaytrack.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the central portion of the exclusion arrangementmay be a mat that extends entirely or nearly entirely between the tracksand provides a generally planar mat area that is offset at a heightbelow an upper surface of the railway tracks. Consequently, the centralportion may be positioned to avoid components of a passing train whilenevertheless establishing a wild animal barrier in the region betweenthe tracks. A deflection shield or baffle (not shown) may be coupled toleading edge and/or trailing edge of the central portion and otherportions of the arrangement to prevent chains or other objects that atrain may be dragging from catching on the arrangement or otherwisedamaging the arrangement. The deflection shield may comprise, forexample, an inclined plate or shield device spanning from the ground infront of the exclusion arrangement to an upper portion of the leadingedge of the exclusion arrangement.

As further shown in FIG. 4 , the arrangement may form a platform or matand the conductive elements may be embedded in modular planks of theplatform or mat in regular intervals. The conductive elements may betrapezoidal in shape, as shown, or any other suitable shape. In someembodiments, the conductive elements may be relatively thin, elongatedelements, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4 . In other embodiments, theconductive elements may be relatively wide, such as, for example, planarelements having a width of a foot or greater.

The conductive elements may be configured to extend generally parallelto the tracks along the entire length of the planks. The conductiveelements may extend or protrude from an edge of the platform or mat inan alternating manner to facilitate interconnection of alternating onesof the conductive elements. For instance, as shown in FIG. 4 ,alternating conductive elements may protrude from a first end of theplatform or mat and may be coupled together by a conductive rod or otherconductive element. The remaining conductive elements may protrude froman opposing end of the platform or mat and may likewise be coupledtogether by a conductive rod or other conductive element. Accordingly,an electrical potential may be established between the groups ofalternating conductive elements. When the system is activated, bridgingthe gap between adjacent conductive elements or any two conductiveelements of opposite polarity will close a circuit and produce anelectric shock of high voltage and energy (yet relatively shortduration) to deter animals from crossing the platform or mat in apainful yet harmless manner. The systems described herein may activatedperiodically in a pulsed manner with the pulses occurring with afrequency that is selected to provide one or more shocks to targetedwildlife over the expected duration that it is expected for suchwildlife to reasonably traverse the exclusion arrangement. The frequencytherefore may be dependent on the type of wildlife that is to beexcluded. In addition, the intensity of the shock may also be dependenton the type of wildlife to be excluded. In some embodiments, thefrequency and/or intensity may be adjustable.

FIGS. 5 through 7 show additional details of the mounting arrangement ofan inclined portion of the end portions of the exclusion arrangement,according to one example embodiment. In this example embodiment,opposing end portions of the exclusion arrangement on each side of thetracks are supported by a respective support system coupleable to therailway ties underlying the railway tracks such that a portion of theend portions lie in close proximity to an upper surface of the railwaytracks while declining toward the bed of the railway tracks for at leasta short distance. In this manner, at least one of a plurality of theconductive elements in the arrangement may be supported in relativelyclose proximity to the railway tracks. For example, in the exampleembodiment, one of the conductive elements runs generally parallel tothe track and is positioned within about three inches of the same. Theconductive rails of the track itself may be incorporated in the systemas either a negative or positive pole in the shock delivery system andinteroperate with the adjacent conductive element embedded in theexclusion arrangement to shock animals, such as, for example, bears,which may be attempting to tightrope walk the rails. In someembodiments, the rail is closely spaced to an adjacent conductiveelement of opposite polarity to produce a painful shock when a paw of abear, for example, bridges a connection between the same. In thismanner, certain animals may be prevented from bypassing the exclusionarrangement via the railway tracks themselves.

In some embodiments, the support system for the exclusion arrangementmay be coupled directly to the railway ties so as to move in unison withthe same in response to the weight and motion of a train passing overthe tracks. FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate one particularly efficientarrangement for integrating the end portions of the exclusionarrangement with a conventional railway system including wooden railwayties, although it is appreciated that many different arrangements arepossible. Irrespective of the support arrangement, it is beneficial toprovide an arrangement that closely abuts or interfaces with the railwaytracks on each side of the tracks as well as spans between the tracks toform a comprehensive exclusion area, such as, for example, an exclusionmat, platform or bed, which serves as an effective obstruction to themovement of wild animals via shock treatment.

FIG. 8 shows a wildlife exclusion system 110 according to anotherexample embodiment having an arrangement 130 with two distinct exclusionregions 111, 112 spanning across railway tracks 114 supported bytransverse railways ties 116 embedded in the ground. The wildlifeexclusion system 110 includes a first exclusion region 111 in the formof a platform or mat that is positioned to span across the railwaytracks 114 generally perpendicular to the railway tracks 114 with acentral portion 132 disposed between the railway tracks and opposing endportions 134, 136 disposed on opposing sides of the railway tracks 114.The portions 132, 134, 136 of the first exclusion region 111 may beformed of modular components, such as, for example, abutting orinterconnecting modular planks 138 arranged in a series to form agenerally elongated mat structure. The planks 138 are preferablyconstructed of a non-conductive or insulating material, such as, forexample, wood, plastic, fiberglass or other appropriate materials. Eachof the planks 138 may further include a series of conductive elements139 spaced apart from each other to form an exclusion area configured toprovide an electric shock to wild animals when certain conductiveelements are bridged thereby. For instance, in some embodiments, an opencircuit may be established between alternating conductive elements 139of the first exclusion region 111, which generate a painful shock whenthe circuit is completed by an animal stepping on the exclusion region111 and bridging conductive elements 139 having opposite poles. In otherembodiments, an upper portion or layer of the exclusion region 111 maybe formed as a continuous sheet with conductive elements 139 receivedtherein.

The exclusion region 111 is designed to span between opposing barrierson respective sides of the railway tracks 114, such as, for example, afence structure 140, a barricade, natural barrier or other barrier, sothat the opposing barriers and the exclusion region 111 collectivelyform a boundary for animal wildlife that is effectively impenetrable towild animals due to the deterrent nature of the exclusion region 111,yet which does not impede or otherwise interfere with the movement oftrains or other vehicles moving along the railway tracks 114. In someembodiments, the exclusion region 111 may span between opposing endposts 142 of a fence system 140, as partially illustrated in FIG. 8 .The exclusion region 111 deters animals from crossing the fence line ina region where the railway tracks penetrate the fence system 140. Inthis manner, wild animals may be retained on one side of the fencesystem 140 in an area unrestricted to animal wildlife.

The example wildlife exclusion system 110 of FIG. 8 further includes asecond exclusion region 112 in the form of a series of elevatedconductive elements supported by support members 150 in a suspendedmanner, which are arranged to span across the railway tracks 114generally perpendicular to the railway tracks 114 with a central portion152 disposed between the railway tracks and opposing end portions 154,156 disposed on opposing sides of the railway tracks 114. The portions152, 154, 156 of the second exclusion region 112 may be formed ofelongated conductive elements 139, such as, for example, rods, arrangedin a series to form a generally elongated exclusion region. Theelongated conductive elements 139 may be an extension of the conductiveelements 139 of the first exclusion region 111, as shown in FIG. 8 , ormay be separate conductive elements that are electrically isolated fromthe conductive elements of the first exclusion region 111 to beenergized independently thereof during operation. The conductiveelements of each exclusion region 111, 112 may be activated withdifferent frequency, intensity, and/or duration from each other. Forexample, the first exclusion region 111 may be configured to deliver ahigher intensity shock than the second exclusion region 112.

The conductive elements 139 of the second exclusion region 112 may besupported in an elevated and suspended manner by transverse supportmembers 150. The support members may be constructed of a non-conductiveor insulating material, such as, for example, wood, plastic, fiberglassor other appropriate materials. In other embodiments, the supportmembers 150 may be pedestals or other support devices. Preferably, theconductive elements 139 of the second exclusion region 112 are supportedintermittently along the lengths thereof to create areas that resemblegrating or similar structures and which are difficult for wildlife totraverse easily or quickly. In this manner, the second exclusion region112 is particularly well adapted to hinder the ability of some wildlifeto move quickly across the exclusion arrangement 130. As such, somewildlife may remain in contact with the exclusion arrangement 130, andin particular the second exclusion region 112, for an extended period oftime, thereby increasing the likelihood of the exclusion arrangement 130in delivering a deterrent shock to such wildlife that encounter thesystem 110. Other devices may be provided at the leading edge or area ofthe exclusion system 110 to slow or stall the movement of wildlife, suchas, for example, upstanding pegs or horizontal rungs.

Like the conductive elements 139 of the first exclusion region 111, theconductive elements 139 of the second exclusion region 112 may be spacedapart from each other to form an exclusion area configured to provide anelectric shock to wild animals when certain conductive elements arebridged thereby. For instance, in some embodiments, an open circuit maybe established between alternating conductive elements 139 of the secondexclusion region 111, which generate a painful shock when the circuit iscompleted by an animal stepping on the exclusion region 111 and bridgingconductive elements 139 having opposite poles. The conductive elements139 may be spaced to present an arrangement that is particularlycumbersome to traverse, while nevertheless providing a generallycomprehensive exclusion area that has a high likelihood of delivering adeterrent shock when certain conductive elements 139 are bridged.

With continued reference to FIG. 8 , the first and second exclusionregions 111, 112 may be positioned adjacent to each other to form acomprehensive exclusion arrangement 130. More particularly, as discussedabove, the first exclusion region 111 may be positioned to span betweenopposing barriers on respective sides of the railway tracks 114, suchas, for example, a fence structure 140, a barricade, natural barrier orother barrier, so that the opposing barriers and the first exclusionregion 111 collectively form a boundary for animal wildlife. The secondexclusion region 112 may be positioned adjacent the first exclusionregion 111 opposite the area that is to be restricted to wildlife. Inthis manner, approaching wildlife may first encounter the secondexclusion region 112 prior to reaching the first exclusion region 111 inan attempt to enter the restricted area and be deterred by movingforward toward the restricted area by receiving a deterrent shock withinthe second exclusion region 112 which may be designed to slow or hinderthe progress of such wildlife.

Moreover, the exclusion system 110 may include a device 160 to attractthe attention of certain wildlife in an attempt to condition suchwildlife to the nature of the exclusion system 110. For instance, thedevice 160 may include a bait receptacle for storing bait to attractcertain targeted wildlife to a portion of the system 110, preferably, aremote edge or end of the system 110 opposite the area to be restricted.In some embodiments, a bait receptacle may be positioned beneath theconductive elements 139 of the exclusion arrangement 130 such that thetargeted wildlife is coaxed into positioning its head between or amongthe conductive elements 139, thereby increasing the likelihood of thesystem 110 delivering a deterrent shock to the targeted wildlife in aparticularly sensitive area. It is believed that such wildlife willbecome conditioned as a result of such a shock or shocks to avoid thesystem altogether 110. Although the device 160 to attract the attentionof certain wildlife (e.g., a bait receptacle) is shown in an isolatedlocation, it is appreciated that a plurality of such devices 160 may beprovided in different areas of the exclusion arrangement 130, including,for example, a series of bait receptacles being provided along the edgeor leading end of the exclusion arrangement 130. In some embodiments, abait receptacle or other attractive device 160 may extend alongsubstantially the entire leading edge of the exclusion arrangement 130.

As wildlife first encounters the exclusion arrangement 130, it ispossible that the wildlife may step or otherwise contact the exclusionarrangement 130 in an isolated area. The probability of wildlifesimultaneously contacting conductive elements 139 of opposite polaritytherefore may be diminished during such initial encounters. Accordingly,in some embodiments, it may be beneficial to rely on the conductivity ofthe surrounding environment to complete a circuit with a live conductiveelement 139 of the exclusion arrangement 130 to deliver a deterrentshock. However, because the surrounding railroad environment oftencomprises crushed rock, the conductivity of the ground immediatelysurrounding the exclusion arrangement 130 may have poor conductivity. Toincrease the conductivity of the ground surrounding the exclusionarrangement (or a leading portion thereof), a layer or other arrangementof conductive material, such as, for example, metal mesh, may beinstalled in the ground surrounding the exclusion arrangement 130 andelectrically connected to a ground rod that is driven into the earthand/or to the negative pole of the exclusion arrangement 130. With thisarrangement, it is more likely that approaching wildlife will be presenton a highly conductive ground field when first encountering theexclusion arrangement 130. Thus, when wildlife steps on or otherwisecontacts the exclusion arrangement 130, it need only contact a positivepolarity conductive element 119 to receive a deterrent shock, thusincreasing the effectiveness of the system 110.

Although the example embodiment of the wildlife exclusion system 110 ofFIG. 8 is shown as including two distinct exclusion regions 111, 112, itis appreciated that other embodiments may include a single exclusionregion having an arrangement of elevated conductive elements 139 asshown and described with respect to the second exclusion region 112 ofthe illustrated embodiment of FIG. 8 . In addition, other embodimentsmay have three, four or more distinct exclusion regions that may becollectively activated or independently activated. Moreover, althougheach of the exclusion regions 111, 112 are shown as generally lineararrangements, it is appreciated that one or more of the exclusionregions 111, 112 may be arranged in different configurations, such as,for example, an arcuate arrangement.

FIG. 9 shows a wildlife exclusion system 210 according to yet anotherexample embodiment, which includes an exclusion arrangement 230 spanningacross railway tracks 214 at the entrance 238 to a fencing system 240.The exclusion arrangement 230 may be of the various forms describedherein, including a mat arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1 , a suspendedsystem of conductive elements, as shown in the second region 112 of theexclusion arrangement 130 of FIG. 8 , or combinations thereof. Theunrestricted side of the fencing system 240 may be provided with variousdetection sensors and other devices for sensing and monitoring thepresence and movement of wildlife to assist in the control of theexclusion system 210. For example, an entrance sensor 242 may beprovided at the entrance 238 of the fencing system to detect wildlifeentering or exiting the fencing system 240. Intermediate sensors 244,246 may be provided further along the tracks 214 as shown in FIG. 9 todetect wildlife approaching the entrance 238 to the fencing system 240.In addition, early detection sensors 248, 250 may be provided evenfurther along the tracks 214 to detect wildlife well before they reachthe entrance 238 to the fencing system 240. The sensors 242, 244, 246,248, 250 may be, for example, laser beam interrupt detection sensors.

When an animal moves from within the restricted fenced area 250 throughthe entrance 238 of the fencing system 430 (i.e., movement through theentrance 238 in FIG. 9 from left to right), the entrance sensor 242 istriggered first and an exit movement signal is generated to signal anexit event. In such situations, the exclusion arrangement 230 may remaininactive. In addition, a camera arrangement 260 may be provided torecord images if the subsequent intermediate sensors 244, 246 are brokenwithin a predetermined time frame (e.g., three to four seconds). Thiswill show that wildlife can safely exit the restricted area and alsoprovide feedback regarding what type of wildlife is exiting therestricted area. Conversely, when wildlife approaches from theunrestricted side 252 of the fencing system 430 along the tracks 214(i.e., right to left in FIG. 9 ), the early detection sensor 250 istriggered first. Then, if the other early detection sensor 248 istriggered within a predetermined time frame and no other sensors aretriggered, another camera arrangement 262 may be provided to recordimages of the wildlife to gather data corresponding to the approach.Subsequently, if the intermediate sensors 244, 246 are triggered, thenthe exclusion arrangement 230 may be activated or energized from aninactive state. Warning signals, such as alarms, may also be transmittedto signal a possible breach attempt. The aforementioned cameraarrangement 260 may then capture or record additional images of theattempted breach of the exclusion arrangement for research anddevelopment purposes.

Although the embodiments shown in the Figures include exclusionarrangements having conductive elements which extend longitudinally fromone end of the arrangement to the other, it is appreciated that otherconfigurations are possible, such as, for example, horizontallyextending conductive elements, a criss-crossing or lattice pattern ofconductive elements, or other arrangements and combinations of the same.For example, in one embodiment, an exclusion arrangement may be providedwhich combines longitudinally extending conductive elements runningparallel to the tracks in a region near the tracks and horizontallyextending conductive elements running perpendicular to the tracks inother regions of the exclusion arrangement.

Further, although embodiments are described as including groups ofconductive elements which alternate polarity over a width of thearrangement, it is appreciated that the conductive elements may begrouped differently. Irrespective of the positioning of the conductiveelements, it is beneficial to position and arrange the conductiveelements so that an animal is expected to touch both the negative andpositive polarity when stepping on the arrangement, thus receiving apainful shock which motivates the animal to retreat away and not crossthe barrier created by the electrified arrangement.

The exclusion arrangements described herein may be active all of thetime or turned on and off according to needs. The exclusion arrangementsmay be manually activated and deactivated with a switch or automaticallyactivated and deactivated with a timer or sensors that detect otheroperational parameters. For example, as discussed earlier, the exclusionarrangements can be activated and deactivated by sensors that detectcertain situations such as the approach of animal wildlife from one orboth directions. As another example, the arrangements may be deactivatedby a sensor if an animal is trapped in a railway corridor and needs toescape. Sensors may also be configured to detect the presence andmovement of wild animals and vehicles on the tracks. In addition,sensors may be used to detect the operating conditions of the exclusionarrangement, including operational parameters of the power sourcethereof. Still further, sensors may be used to detect night and day,temperature and humidity conditions with which to monitor and controlthe system. For example, wild animals of a particular type and within aparticular region may be more active under certain environmentalconditions, and thus by monitoring such environmental conditions, thesystem may be energized during periods of peak activity.

Moreover, the various embodiments described above can be combined toprovide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to theembodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, inthe following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limitthe claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specificationand the claims, but should be construed to include all possibleembodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which suchclaims are entitled.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A wildlife exclusion system, the wildlifeexclusion system comprising: an exclusion arrangement including a seriesof conductive elements supported in a stationary manner and spaced apartfrom each other with insulating material between the conductive elementsto form an exclusion area having a plurality of distinct sets ofconductive elements that are electrically insulated from each other bythe insulating material and form an open circuit, and being configuredto provide an electric shock to wild animals when particular conductiveelements from the plurality of distinct sets of conductive elementswithin the exclusion area are bridged thereby to close the open circuit;and an arrangement of conductive material installed in ground adjacentto the exclusion arrangement and unconnected to a voltage source toincrease the conductivity of the ground immediately adjacent to theexclusion arrangement for contact by animal wildlife on the ground ofincreased conductivity.
 2. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 1wherein the exclusion arrangement is a first exclusion arrangement andthe exclusion area is a first exclusion area, and further comprising: asecond exclusion arrangement including a series of conductive elementssupported in a stationary manner and spaced apart from each other withinsulating material between the conductive elements to form a secondexclusion area having at least two distinct sets of conductive elementsthat are electrically insulated from each other by the insulatingmaterial and form an open circuit, and being configured to provide anelectric shock to wild animals when particular conductive elements fromthe at least two distinct sets of conductive elements within the secondexclusion area are bridged thereby to close the open circuit, andwherein the first exclusion arrangement is arranged relative to thesecond exclusion arrangement to define a corridor between the first andsecond exclusion arrangements for the passage of animal wildlife.
 3. Thewildlife exclusion system of claim 2 wherein one or more monitoring andsensing devices are arranged to sense when a wild animal enters thecorridor and when a wild animal exits the corridor so as to determinewhether one or more wild animals may be occupying a right of wayextending through the corridor.
 4. The wildlife exclusion system ofclaim 1, further comprising: one or more monitoring and sensing devicesarranged to monitor wild animals in the vicinity of the exclusionarrangement; and a control system operatively coupled to the one or moremonitoring and sensing devices and the exclusion arrangement toselectively activate and deactivate the exclusion arrangement inresponse to the presence and absence of wild animals in the vicinity ofthe exclusion arrangement.
 5. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 4wherein the one or more monitoring and sensing device comprises a motiondetector, an infrared sensor and/or a laser beam interrupt detectionsensor.
 6. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 4 wherein the controlsystem is configured to generate a warning and/or a control signal toalert others to the presence of wild animals in the vicinity of theexclusion arrangement.
 7. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 1,further comprising: at least one monitoring and sensing device arrangedto monitor the exclusion arrangement for a breach condition in which oneor more wild animals pass over the exclusion arrangement; and a controlsystem operatively coupled to the at least one monitoring and sensingdevice and the exclusion arrangement to selectively deactivate theexclusion arrangement in response to the breach condition.
 8. Thewildlife exclusion system of claim 7 wherein the one or more monitoringand sensing device comprises a motion detector, an infrared sensorand/or a laser beam interrupt detection sensor.
 9. The wildlifeexclusion system of claim 7 wherein the control system is configured togenerate a warning and/or a control signal to alert others to the breachcondition.
 10. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 1 wherein theexclusion arrangement comprises at least two distinct exclusion regionshaving a different arrangement of conductive elements.
 11. The wildlifeexclusion system of claim 10 wherein the at least two distinct exclusionregions includes a first exclusion region and a second exclusion regionthat are configured to be energized independently of each other.
 12. Thewildlife exclusion system of claim 11 wherein the first exclusion regionand the second exclusion region are configured to be energized with adifferent frequency, intensity and/or duration.
 13. The wildlifeexclusion system of claim 10 wherein the at least two distinct exclusionregions includes a first exclusion region with conductive elementsembedded in surrounding material and a second exclusion region withconductive elements that are elevated.
 14. The wildlife exclusion systemof claim 1 wherein the conductive elements and insulating materialcollectively define a planar platform surface upon which wild animalsstep.
 15. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 1 wherein theconductive elements are embedded in planks comprising the insulatingmaterial.
 16. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 1 wherein theconductive elements form a stationary grating upon which wild animalsstep.
 17. The wildlife exclusion system of claim 16 wherein thestationary grating is elevated and includes spaces between theconductive elements sufficient to insertably receive feet of the wildanimals.